Dr. Alan Castel, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and one of the world's foremost experts on human memory and cognitive aging. We discuss what science actually tells us about how to improve our learning ability and memory at any age. We also discuss how memory works, why all planning and imagination about the future is based on the past, false memories, and how to leverage curiosity, emotion, and self-testing retrieval practice to stamp in memories for the long term. We discuss what "superagers"—people who actually improve their cognitive capacity with age—do differently than everyone else. This episode is for anyone interested in the science of memory and tools to maintain and improve your memory across the lifespan.
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Dr. Alan Castel
(00:02:41) What Is Memory?, Reconstruction & Metacognition
(00:04:49) Mnemonics, Remembering Names & Deeper Learning
(00:08:22) The Penny & Apple Logo, Noticing vs Seeing, Learning Through Mistakes
(00:10:43) Sponsors: Wealthfront & Helix
(00:14:05) Neuroplasticity, Frustration, Curiosity & Mindset
(00:17:42) Maintaining vs Learning New Things, Habits, Novelty & Emotional Memory
(00:24:28) "Mental Photographs," Photo-Taking & Imagining the Future
(00:29:28) Eyewitness Memory, the Ronald Cotton Case, Confidence vs Accuracy
(00:35:07) Medium-Term & Prospective Memory, Hotel Fire Exits
(00:40:28) Sponsor: AG1
(00:41:47) When Habits Turn Lethal, Aviation & Human Error
(00:49:01) Why Memory Changes With Age; Alzheimer's & the Nun Study
(00:52:34) Exercise & Hippocampal Volume, Falls & Balance
(00:57:14) SuperAgers & Athletes; Regret, Balance & Being Driven
(01:12:08) Sponsor: Function
(01:13:45) Age Stereotypes, Subjective Age & Positive Age Beliefs
(01:20:02) Goals & Plans, Scams; Anterior Midcingulate Cortex & SuperAgers
(01:26:23) Culture, Resilience, Blue Zones & COVID
(01:29:18) Adversity, the Positivity Effect & Intergenerational Learning
(01:36:31) Sponsor: Lingo
(01:38:00) Limitations & Purpose; Time, Family & Connection
(01:44:58) Deliberately Building Memories; the ABCs of Successful Aging
(01:51:02) Following Your Interests; Castel's Path & Older Adults
(01:57:16) Mental Simulations, Curiosity Studies & Selectivity
(02:01:19) Socioemotional Selectivity Theory; Steve Jobs & Lifespan
(02:07:10) The Secret to Successful Aging; State vs Trait Curiosity
(02:11:04) Scams & AI Voice Cloning
(02:14:31) John Wooden, Wisdom, Love & Balance
(02:17:41) Learning Through Mistakes; Does the Brain Get Better With Age?
(02:25:00) Conclusion, Better With Age
(02:26:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures
*This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Andrew Huberman receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid testimonials in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on Wealthfront.com/Huberman. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.
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